FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 13, 2018
Sealants over Sweets this Valentine’s Day:
Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation Funds
Dental Sealants for Children in Need
SAINT PAUL, MN — Community Dental Carerecently received a $15,000 grant from Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation to provide complimentary dental sealants and preventive care to uninsured and underserved children living in the Twin Cities. February may be more known for Valentine’s Day but it is also celebrated nationally asChildren’s Dental Health Month.
Community Dental Care’s school-based dental sealant program will work in partnership with 23 Twin City elementary schools toprovide dental sealants and preventive care for uninsured children who would otherwise not have access tothese services. In addition, the funding will support summer sealant events at nonprofit organizations and/or schools serving primarily immigrant, minority and refugee communities. Both projects will provide services free of charge and will include sealants, fluoride varnish, oral hygiene instruction, and oral health kits.
“We very much appreciate Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation’s support of this important program, which allows us to provide cavity preventing sealants to underserved children in our community,” said Karen Kleinhans, Chief Executive Officer of Community Dental Care.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states, “After sealants are applied, they protect against 80% of cavities for 2 years and continue to protect against 50% of cavities for up to 4 years.School-age children without sealants have almost 3 times more cavities than those with sealants.Untreated cavities can cause pain, infection, and problems eating, speaking, and learning.”
This grant is part of a statewide $150,000 investment by Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation. Nine other clinics also received $15,000 each to provide no cost preventive services and dental sealants to children. Grant recipients were selected based on a number of criteria including the program’s innovative way of improving access for underserved populations in Minnesota, the opportunity to promote and expand preventive and education services, and the ability to measure results.
“At Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation, we are dedicated to improving Minnesotans’ oral health. We are proud to recognize the work being done by Community Dental Care to help kids facing tough economic situations have access to dental care,” said Joe Lally, Executive Director of the Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation and Community Benefit.
About Community Dental Care
Community Dental Care is one of the largest nonprofit dental clinics in Minnesota and is recognized by the Minnesota Department of Health as one of six successful models statewide providing dental services for underserved communities. Their mission is to provide culturally sensitive community oral health care,preventive education and professional training, and to advocate for access toall.Their vision is that all people will have access to high quality, affordabledental care to improve their overall health in a convenient, caring, and respectful environment. Founded by Drs. Vacharee and Andrew Peterson, the clinic was for-profit for 22 years before incorporating as a nonprofit in 2004. Today, they operate three clinics in St. Paul, Maplewood and Robbinsdale, and two clinics in Rochester. In 2017, they provided care for more than 49,000 individual patients. Of these, 91% were low-income and 48% were children.
About Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation
In 2009, Delta Dental of Minnesota’s parent sold a company and used 100 percent of the proceeds to establish and fund Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation. Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation supports Delta Dental of Minnesota’s mission of improving the health of Minnesotans through oral health. Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation works to expand access to dental care for Minnesota’s underserved populations across the state by primarily investing in programs and organizations that provide dental care to people in need.
Media Contact:
Crystal Yang
Community Dental Care
651-925-8410
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